"Barely. The country was at that time all one wild tract of forest and moor, where life had need be of the simplest; and where it was sustained in great measure by the chase and by a rude husbandry. No cities, no churches, no libraries, no merchants, no lawyers, no fine furniture, no delicate living. Nobody therefore wanted money, and nobody tried to get it. That makes all the difference in the world, children." "Money, Uncle Eden?" "Look at the map of Germany now; run your eye over the cities. Remember the treasures of art in this and that gallery; the beautiful old buildings almost everywhere; the great trading houses; the life of complicated interests, political, literary, scientific, social, critical, artistic, mercantile; think of the books, the pictures, the statuary, the jewellery, the carvings and engravings, the luxurious and magnificent living. Everybody wants money now, and nearly everybody either has it, or is working hard for it." "Does money make so much odds in national character?" Meredith asked. "It is the root of all evil," Mr. Murray said smiling. "But, Mr. Murray, you do not seriously mean that?" said Flora. "The Bible says it, Miss Flora; not I." "But what can you have, or do, that is worth anything, without money?" "Exactly! That is the general opinion. So everybody is striving to get money." "Well, people would stagnate if they did not strive for something." "Quite true. Nevertheless, the Bible award proves itself. If you examine facts, you will find that the love of money is at the bottom of nearly all the crimes that are committed; and at the root of all the meannesses, speaking generally." "Then you would make out money to be a bad thing, Mr. Murray!" "Not money necessarily. But 'if any man _will be rich_, he shall fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.'" "Then was that the reason, Uncle Eden, why those old Saxons were so noble, because they had no money?" "One reason, I fancy. Along with trade and riches, don't you see, comes the temptation to underhand and false dealings, that money may be got faster; and so comes cringing for the sake of advantage, and flattery for the same. And then, with luxury comes dislike of hardships, and neglect of manly living, and people's moral sense gets weak along with their bodily powers. Self-indulgence drives out the noble uprightness that was maintained when people feared nothing." "But religion--Christianity?" said Meredith. "That ought to have made more difference the other way." "So it would if it prevailed. But a name is not Christianity; and the real thing is only here and there. The wheat in the midst of tares, as the Lord said it would be." Maggie drew a long sigh. "The wheat must show itself for what it is," said her uncle smiling at her, "and bear a fine head of fruit, to rebuke the tares. Your old Saxons, however, were a fine stock to begin with."